Nnamdi Kanu transfer to Sokoto prison sparks concern as lawyer Aloy Ejimakor criticises the move following Kanu’s life sentence

The Nnamdi Kanu transfer to the Sokoto Correctional Centre has sparked strong concern after his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, confirmed on Thursday that the IPOB leader had been relocated from the Department of State Services custody in Abuja.

Also read: Nnamdi Kanu sentenced to life imprisonment in Abuja

Ejimakor described the development as troubling, insisting the move places his client far from legal support and family access.

In a post on X, Ejimakor said the relocation was sudden and deeply unsettling. He wrote that Nnamdi Kanu had been taken “so far away from his lawyers, family, loved ones and well-wishers,” noting that the distance would complicate consultations required for his ongoing legal battles.

The transfer followed the ruling delivered on Wednesday by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who convicted Kanu on multiple terrorism charges.

The court sentenced him to life imprisonment on several counts, with additional terms of 20 years and five years on others, all running concurrently.

Justice Omotosho held that the Federal Government had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, stating that Kanu “deliberately refused” to counter the evidence against him.

In what the judge described as a forceful justification, he referred to Kanu as “a person who cannot be allowed to remain in the company of sane minds,” branding him an “international terrorist.”

Citing what he termed violent tendencies exhibited during proceedings, the judge directed that Kanu be transferred to a stricter facility outside Abuja.

He further ordered a total restriction on electronic devices, including mobile phones, unless under direct supervision of the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Items allegedly recovered from Kanu, including a smuggled transmitter, were forfeited to the Federal Government as part of the sentencing order.

Also read: Kanu convicted in shocking terrorism verdict

The Nnamdi Kanu Transfer has intensified public debate surrounding the handling of his case, with many observers noting that the move to Sokoto raises questions about access to justice, security considerations and the broader political implications of the conviction.